Some quick thoughts

[noeynox]

It's a service academy which means we have a physical advantage as every position. They are 6-6 level squad, in good years they win 8. Saying they are so much better than us is pretty defeatist. That SEC team we lost to, just lost to UK in football.

You're usually a pretty level headed poster, but did you take Diaco literally when he said we would win every game and the National Playoff? You knocking Navy and Mizzou, doesn't take into account how putrid we were last year. There is progress to see everywhere on this team.

 

[huskymedic]

Enjoy your moral victories, that wasn't a good team we lost to yesterday.

Curious - compared to who? Top 25? Top 40?

It's a service academy which means we have a physical advantage as every position. They are 6-6 level squad, in good years they win 8. Saying they are so much better than us is pretty defeatist. That SEC team we lost to, just lost to UK in football.

You really didn't answer the question - I'm only talking about Navy - So they aren't a "good team" compared to who -- a Top 25 level team, a Top 40 level team, your eyeballs/standards? What's the measuring stick - end of year record?

The "it's a service academy" so they can't be good argument rings hollow.

 

[Dooley]

I think we have a good chance beating BYU. We played well in our first road game. In our last game against BYU I thought we stacked up well athletically, and lost because BYU's talented QB picked us apart - something they don't have this year.

Be careful. They don't have Hill but Mangum is VERY good. They are still able to run their tempo offense and their defense is always tough (not including yesterday). Going back home to a full rocking house coming off of an embarrassing loss spells trouble.

 

[Stainmaster]

Lay off the goshdarn booze. It's been a day: we lost, get over it and move on to the next one.

 

[Storrsbred]

I agree, except FG attempts inside 35 yds to pull you within one with 14 minutes left in the first half, you take unless you are playing the #1 ranked team or a team with a huge talent disparity. I don't have a problem with the flea flicker on the first series, I don't even have a problem kicking at the end of it. But if you are a D1 head coach, you have to recongnize we averaged about 10 yds a play on that drive. We could move the ball on them without much of a problem. So when it's 3rd and 1 and you know you are going for it on 4th, you run it twice. You don't run a negative 5 yd play and still go for it. FWIW, all these trick plays are doing the development of ST no good.

Playing for the punt from the half yard line is correct and we broke one out to the 20. Right plays, right strategy. What you don't do is keep doing it once you get to midfield. The onside kick with 7 to go was correct, the three incompletes were bad luck or lack of player execution. Let me be clear, this staff isn't P and friends by a long shot, but I don't think that should be the standard. We had two more players drafted last year and by that measuring stick we have a few more on the roster right now.

Can someone explain why we have put zero effort into special teams. We don't run anything, even basic returns. Our big leg true freshman comes up short, why are we playing him? Didn't they see this in the preseason? Is he hurt? Why can't we find 5 guys to block for extra points, why can't Puyol get the ball up, is he hurt? These are talent questions, they are coaching questions. Who is working with them on their technique? Their are a ton of little things, basic things that are being missed and it's mostly the coaches.

On the stadium side, it's clear that the operation is a bare bones, part time, intern level operation with zero interest in putting on a first class event. If there intention is to drive me into watching these games on TV, they are doing a superb job. Did the band get a 2 game penalty for high sticking? Compared to the Nova game, they barely played. And I have had it with wall of PA announcements, the malfunctioning scoreboard and the inattentive operation thereof. I've also had it with the AAC officiating, these guys are terrible and whoever is on replay duty is even worse.

Better than last year is not good enough by a long shot.

To me you speak a lot of common sense. The frustration is we never get answers or see improvement. People keep referring back to past seasons and staffs. As you stated, neither is the benchmark one wants to emulate (hopefully). UCONN has a long way to go to be competent and it may be several additional seasons before they approach where they want to be and that is assuming this staff has the ability to pull it off.

 

[J187Money]

It's a service academy which means we have a physical advantage as every position. They are 6-6 level squad, in good years they win 8. Saying they are so much better than us is pretty defeatist. That SEC team we lost to, just lost to UK in football.

They were favored by 10. They beat us by 10. Why do you act so surprised?

 

[huskymedic]

The frustration is we never get answers or see improvement.

Are we where we need to be - no. But you haven't seen any improvement -- YOY? WOW?

 

[Stainmaster]

Are we where we need to be - no. But you haven't seen any improvement -- YOY? WOW?

He simply doesn't care about improvement. I don't know what he's trying to prove.

 

[Storrsbred]

Are we where we need to be - no. But you haven't seen any improvement -- YOY? WOW?

Yep, improvement to a very flawed staff, team, whatever. If you are satisfied with that, good for you.

 

[Dooley]

The frustration is we never get answers or see improvement.

Piling on this comment...really? You haven't seen any improvement? None whatsoever. How's about the fact that we were 1-3 at this point last season. This season, we are 2-2. That right there is +1 in the W column.

We've lost 2 games to 2 teams that are better than we are right now. BYU is also better than we are and we will likely lose a 3rd game. But before making ridiculous statements like this, can we see how we fare against the teams that we can beat? We've played competitively in every game this season.

 

[BugsyCT]

"We never see improvement?" It's been 4 games. Exactly how quickly and to what degree were some of you expecting a turnaround?

And the last couple years isn't a measuring stick?

Go ahead and be miserable. You're in for a long season if you expected miracles.

 

[huskymedic]

Yep, improvement to a very flawed staff, team, whatever. If you are satisfied with that, good for you.

Satisfaction depends on expectations in life.

 

[Storrsbred]

Satisfaction depends on expectations in life.

That's the truth.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Yep, improvement to a very flawed staff, team, whatever. If you are satisfied with that, good for you.

Satisfied that they have gone from embarrassingly bad to mediocre and are on a trajectory to be good and very good over the next couple of seasons... sure. Beats being pisssed off that Diaco couldn't execute a four-year rebuild in one year.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Your reading comprehension stinks. Find one criticism of the players.. You won't despite the numerous errors that are part an parcel to a developing team. This rant is about the coaches, who weirdly construct a very good game plan then proceed to take a giant dump on in somewhere between the opening series and the first quarter TV timeout. Apparently spend most of the week working on gadget plays instead of coaching special teams and defending the most pedestrian offensive scheme since the single wing. A scheme they saw twice in the last 10 games. I expect mistakes by the players, they are in college. I also expect the people being paid to be there to perform as professionals. That includes the stadium staff and the head coach. Enjoy your moral victories, that wasn't a good team we lost to yesterday. It wasn't a good team we lost to last week, the team we lose to next week just got bombed by another rebuilding program. We've beaten an FCS team and a service academy. We haven't exactly improved where it counts. Given the visual improvement on the field only shows how horrendous we were last season.

You lost all credibility with me with your comment "that wasn't a good team we lost to yesterday". Also, if BYU isn't a good team how in hell did they beat both Nebraska and Boise State and lose by only one to UCLA. I guess my definition of a good team is light years different from yours.

 

[Storrsbred]

Satisfied that they have gone from embarrassingly bad to mediocre and are on a trajectory to be good and very good over the next couple of seasons... sure. Beats being pisssed off that Diaco couldn't execute a four-year rebuild in one year.

For whatever reason some are assuming the expectation is pro quality this season. How about some common sense decisions from the coaching staff, or should the fan base be satisfied at mostly ok? These guys are not in their first rodeo. At this point in their careers some would think the staff would be long past the smh idiotic decisions. D is pulling down big $$ by my standards and I expect competence in exchange.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Our entire offense is sophomores and Freshman including our QB
On D there seems to be a very capable underclassmen to replace anyone we lose.
Not even counting the best recruiting class in years coming in. Some of them we will probably red shirt ,a luxury we haven't had and necessary for constistancy in the future.
Next year should produce the most wins by a UConn team in years.
With another good year after that.
Probably even an AAC championship before we exit the conference.
I like our future.

 

[RedStickHusky]

For whatever reason some are assuming the expectation is pro quality this season. How about some common sense decisions from the coaching staff, or should the fan base be satisfied at mostly ok? These guys are not in their first rodeo. At this point in their careers some would think the staff would be long past the smh idiotic decisions. D is pulling down big $$ by my standards and I expect competence in exchange.

Some head scratching calls to be sure but I think there are a lot of things affecting some of those 4th down calls beyond just the football. Whether he's trying to teach or instill attitude or trying to protect areas he lacks confidence in (short yardage rushing and fg kicking). That 3rd down option yesterday still rankles though... everyone knows you don't option an option team and I hate going horizontal for short yards. I just think the payoff for BD's $ is gonna be in the end state and that's a couple of years off yet. If they look 'on schedule', I'm not gonna be on his case.

 

[Alum86]

Going for it down 7-3 was a stupid move, Diaco trying to make up for his disastrous fake last week.
It failed. That and using Newsome too much. He is not a premier 1 back only. Should let Max carry some. Do not understand the offensive decisions by our OC and
Diaco. Truly offensive

 

[J187Money]

I'm not satisfied at all. But I am encouraged. Lots to work on. But further ahead than I thought we would be. I was on record expecting us to lose to Nova.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I'm not satisfied at all. But I am encouraged.

That's the way to put it.

 

[businesslawyer]

For whatever reason some are assuming the expectation is pro quality this season. How about some common sense decisions from the coaching staff, or should the fan base be satisfied at mostly ok? These guys are not in their first rodeo. At this point in their careers some would think the staff would be long past the smh idiotic decisions. D is pulling down big $$ by my standards and I expect competence in exchange.

Competence of a football coach is judged by everything he does (recruitment, player development, player evaluation, managing a staff, keeping kids out of trouble, installing systems and play calling). And by results compared to the program's history, resources and players.

They are not judged by anonymous crybabies who think there are some calls that didn't work that they would have done differently in a video game.

 

[Storrsbred]

Happy to know you are the ultimate authority on opinions. BTW do I know you or are you an anonymous blowhard?

 

[JMick]

Jeeze we played fine yesterday, just lost to a better team. We figured them out at halftime but by then it was a little too late. A couple breaks fall our way and we win the game. I'm not upset, and I'm not sure why anyone would be. I was much more disappointed last week v. Mizzou.

 

[SubbaBub]

You're usually a pretty level headed poster, but did you take Diaco literally when he said we would win every game and the National Playoff? You knocking Navy and Mizzou, doesn't take into account how putrid we were last year. There is progress to see everywhere on this team.

No, I see the improvements, I see the talent, I also see the misuse of that talent. Not is the same way that P/GDL misused it. BD and staff clearly know what to do with these guys. They for some reason do not apply it to special teams or game management. I was shocked at the inability to defend the option. There is really no excuse for it. In my mind they blew two vary winnable games that put a huge damper on the early season progress we have seen. Not saying we would have won them, but they didn't get a chance.

I get inconsistent play is to be expected and I get that there are holes to be filled on this team, but none of those, outside our inability to contain the edge rearing it's head again, cost us that game. This is supposed to be a top 40 defense. It got gashed by the simplest of offenses, the offense teams run when they don't have talent or they are undersized. They lost because their coach didn't stick with what was working and wanted to show how clever he was. My gut says that one person is calling the plays on 1st and 2nd and another person is making the calls on 3rd and 4th. It seamed that disjointed.

Couple that with the annoyances of the stadium and it was my worst gameday experience at the stadium. The calls for noise on third down became pointless whether it was 3rd and 6 or 3rd and 1. It was disheartening because this is not last year's team and 2 wins isn't great or an improvement. I disagree that either Missou or Navy was significantly better than the team we put on the field. Both games looked very even to me talent-wise.

The good news is if they fix it, there are still no unwinnable games left on the schedule. All of the opponents are just as inconsistent. All I ask is for the staff to quit giving away points and the stadium people to act like they give damn about their customers. I can live with Newsome dropping a 4th down pass or Shirreffs ignoring a wide open Beals for a sure TD.